LIGHT AND DARKNESS are used as figures
and as synonyms for truth and untruth,
righteousness and sin.
Thus, "God is Light
and in Him is no darkness at all."
Thus
also Jesus said, "I am the Light of the
world."
Thus also He said of His followers
when He was leaving them, "Ye are the
light of the world"; "Let your light so
shine before men that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father which
is in heaven."

On the contrary, Satan is styled the "Prince of Darkness";
and his rule of unrighteousness is styled "the
kingdom of darkness"; and those subject to his influence
are styled "the children of darkness."
Evil works contrary
to the Lord and righteousness are styled "works of
darkness."

When our first parents sinned they forfeited fellowship
with God, and because of disobedience became children
of the Adversary; and Jesus said to such in his day, "Ye
are of your father, the Devil, because his works ye do."
(John 8:44.)
Thus our entire race came under the influence
of the darkness of sin.
A night of sin, sorrow
and death has followed for now six thousand years.
We
have the promise of a glorious morning when Messiah
shall reign, when "Satan shall be bound for a thousand
years," and when "the Sun of Righteousness shall arise
with healing in His beams."

But this morning has not yet come; we have it merely
by faith, by hope.
God's promises respecting that glorious
morning are figuratively called "light," and these constitute
the Bible.
So the Scriptures, after telling us that
darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the heathen,
tell us also that the Bible is a light to the path of God's
people in the midst of this darkness.
"Thy Word is a
lamp to my feet and a lantern to my footsteps." (Psa. 119:105.)
St. Peter said, "We have a more sure Word of
prophecy, to which we do well that we take heed, as unto [R5038 : page 180] a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn."2 Pet. 1:19.

LIGHT REPROVES DARKNESS

In the present time, therefore, the masses of the worlddeluded, enslaved and intoxicated by ignorance, superstition
and the wiles of the Adversaryare generally
sympathetic with the darkness wherein they are.
They
were born in it and are so accustomed to it that if brought
immediately into the presence of the light they would be
in distress.
There are not many light-bearers in the world
anyway.
True, the census reports four hundred millions
of Christians, but alas! the vast majority give no sign of
ever having seen the true light, and many of those who
did receive the light put it under a bushel, until it was
extinguished.

Surely it is as true today as it was in Jesus' day that a
very small number of humanity, comparatively, have the
true light of the Gospel of God, the Holy Spirit illuminating
their minds and hearts, and who set this light upon
a candlestick that it may give light in the midst of
darkness.

But although these are few in number, they are
very precious to the Lord.
He calls them His saints,
His jewels, and tells us that at His second coming, prior
to the setting up of His Kingdom to rule the world, these,
as His jewel class, shall be gathered to Himself beyond
the veilchanged by the power of the First Resurrection
from human to the divine nature.
These He tells us He
will gather as His true "wheat," in the Harvest of this
Age, into His heavenly garner"changed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye"; "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father."Matt. 13:43.

It is this latter class that the Apostle addresses in this
lessonthe same class which the Savior addressed saying,
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the Kingdom." (Luke 12:32.)
When the
Father shall give these the Kingdom, as joint-heirs with
their Redeemer, everything will be changed.
The Prince
of Darkness will be bound for a thousand years.
The
Prince of Light will shine forth to scatter all the darkness
and miasma of sin, sorrow, ignorance and
superstition.

THE LIGHT-BEARERS' RESPONSIBILITY

In today's lesson the Apostle is explaining the responsibility
of these light-bearers.
They represent God
in this dark, benighted world; they represent the Justice,
Wisdom, Love and Power of God.
They are not able to
let all of this glorious light so shine before men as to
scatter the gross darkness of the present time, but they
can do much to glorify their Father and can measurably
scatter the thick darkness and bring in a sort of twilight
at least to some.
Obligation to do this is laid upon all of
them.

These are not expected to convert the world, but
merely to find a sufficient number of similar characters to
themselves to complete the foreordained membership in
the Church, the Bride class, the joint-heirs.
Faithfulness
and zeal in this service will determine whether or not they
will be worthy of having a place in the Bride class, and, if
worthy, how high a station of honor they may occupy.
Let us give heed gladly to the Divine Word respecting our
obligation.

We must "have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
How
searching, how positiveabsolutely no fellowship with
them!
More than this, we must not be content with a
negative opposition, but must reprove them.
However
wisely we may seek to fulfil these requirements, they are
sure to bring to us the enmity, the disfavor and the disappointment
of many whom we love, and whose good
opinion we strongly desire.
But as good soldiers of the
Lord Jesus Christ we must be loyal, we must be faithful.
He that is ashamed of the Master and His Word and the
principles of righteousness for which He stands, of him
will the Savior be ashamed when He comes to establish
His Kingdom, when He comes to reckon with His
servants.

Evidently the Apostle does not mean that we shall
undertake to reprove everything that is out of accord
with our high ideals of the Divine Law and the Divine
will, because he here mentions the things to be reproved,
saying, "It is a shame even to speak of those things
which are done of them in secret"uncleanness, impure
practices, the Apostle evidently had in mind.
We must
manifest our disapproval when we are in close contact
with such things.

This does not mean that we shall leave the preaching
of the Gospel to go "slumming," to do "muck-raking."
It may not mean that we shall even publicly denounce the
evil, but it surely does mean that our lives shall be so
contrary to all sinful and impure practices that all may
take knowledge that we have been with Jesus, and have
learned of Him.
This is evidently the Apostle's thought
in verse 13.
It is not necessary for us to suppose that
the world is in full sympathy with all the darkness and
sin prevalent.
On the contrary, as the Apostle suggests
(verse 14), some are asleep and do not, therefore, realize
the distinction between light and darkness.
Some of
these, if thoroughly awake, might be glad to know of
Christ and the true light.

WALK YE CIRCUMSPECTLY

In view of these things, said the Apostle, the followers
of Jesus should be careful, circumspect in the walk of life,
not foolish, but wise, not squanderers of time, but redeeming
the time, purchasing it back from worldly cares
and pleasures, to have the more to use in the Master's
service, realizing that the days are evil and that all our
energies are needful if we would "fight a good fight" for
the light as against the darkness of sin.
To do this will
require that we study and understand the will of the
Lord.

If others are drunk with excessive use of wine, let
us be filled with a different kind of winewith the Holy
Spirit.
If others seek to find joy and solace in intoxicants,
let us find ours in being filled with the mind of
Christ.
This spiritual refreshment will lead us to psalms
and hymns, and to make merry in our hearts to the Lord,
and to be thankful for God's favor in Christ.